Pokemon: New Colors
by Guardian Yeti
Summary: A few years after Ash's initial departure from Pallet, the time has come for a new group of children to begin their journeys.
1. Chapter 1: Pallet's New Colors

This world of Pokemon in which I live is constantly growing. There are hundreds of Pokemon to collect, and more and being found each day. New lands are becoming open to humans; among those are Hoenn, Sinnoh, my home Kanto, and its attached region Johto. The creatures known as Pokemon have a mysterious past, but the Legendary Pokemon—the ones that are so rare that only a few exist—are the ones proved to have had a hand in creating our world. Arceus, the first Pokemon, first gave life to Dialga and Palkia, and later created Azelf, Uxie, and Mesprit. Mew then came in the hundreds to live on our planet, each holding the DNA of every Pokemon that would ever be. Soon the world met Groudon, Kyogre, and Rayquaza. Groudon created a large mass of land, while Kyogre covered the Earth with water. When the two began to quarrel, Rayquaza swept down and set them both to sleep forever, separated. Regigigas broke the landmass into various continents and islands, and was eventually sealed away by Registeel, Regice, and Regirock. Dialga, Palkia, Arceus, Azelf, Uxie, and Mesprit slipped away.

When Mew began to evolve into the various Pokemon they contained the DNA of, their numbers decreased. New Legendary Pokemon came to be, and hundreds if not thousands of non-legendary ones. Eventually, even Mew became, who had once been hundreds, became rare and quite legendary himself.

_But why am I reviewing my history lessons? I should be trying to sleep!_ I glanced at the clock. It was nearly two in the morning. I groaned and turned away from its taunting face, pulling my pillow over my ears to block out the excruciatingly loud ticking. _I'__m only eleven! I should be asleep, getting my rest for tomorrow!_ Tomorrow, or, rather, today if one was to be technical, was an important day in the relatively small town of Pallet. The local and famous Professor Oak had announced nearly a month ago that he was conducting an experiment on this very day. The man was going to _give _three children over the age of ten a rare Pokemon and a device of his own design, a Pokedex, and send them out to discover, capture, and explore the world on their very own journey. _And I'__m going to be one of them._ I smiled to myself in the dark of my room. To have not only a Pokemon, but a rare one, and to be sent on the greatest of adventures...that was so amazing. And it wasn't a dream. It was in reach, especially since I was one of only four children in Pallet Town old enough to qualify. The older teenagers had things to do, and others had already left to take the Gym Leader Challenge, to beat each of the eight Gym Leaders in turn and receive a badge proving their strength with which they could enter and challenge the Elite Four in a Pokemon Battle. Then, if successful, they would be Champions.

Of course, not many people ever made it that far, or even close. The road was hard and stressful. I didn't have any doubts though, I would make it. _I'__ll be the best._ At that thought, my eyes closed and sleep seemed to drift down. I was sinking into my bed's comfy spot when a tapping woke me. I groaned, ready to scream into my pillow. I didn't though, as that would wake my parents. I shot a look at my window, where somebody was tapping the glass sharply.

Groggily, I crawled out of bed and stumbled to the window. I lifted the glass and invited the person in with a welcoming hand that ran against my wishes. My parents had raised me to be polite. I hated that.

"Man, I can't sleep, Darin, can you?"

I couldn't believe the girl. _Well, I was about to, but not anymore, I think._ "No, I'm as awake as ever, Ariana." I looked her over. Despite my irritation, I smiled.

She must have seen it, because she asked. "What are you smiling about?"

"I was just wondering how long you spent on your hair. It looks like you've been washing and combing it for hours."

Even in the dark I could see her blush pink prettily and try to hide it by looking at my shined wooden floor. "Well, like I said, I couldn't sleep, and..."

"It's better than just lying there?" I finished helpfully, feeling a little bad for making her feel bad.

"Yeah..."

"Oh, take a seat." She did, on the edge of my bed where I had pointed. ADo you want anything to drink?"

"Oh, uh, no, thanks. I'm fine."

"Okay." I sat beside her then got up again quickly to close the window. A summer night's draft had found its way in. I resumed my place beside Ariana.

We sat beside each other for what seemed a few long minutes, though it was only a few seconds, when Ariana, evidently looking for something to say (I was too) said "So, what Pokemon do you think we'll get?"

I had thought about it, to be sure, but had no idea what kind of rare Pokemon there were, besides the Legendaries. And what kind of nutjob would hand out something like a Mew to kids? The idea was laughable. "I don't know." I said. "What do you think?"

She turned to glance at my clock. "I don't know, either, but my brother Marcus, Oak's aide, says he knows what they are. He told me one."

I shot her a quick look, my mouth open in anticipation. "Really?" I 'oop'ed myself quiet, realizing I had been a little loud. Shouting in my pillow would have gotten some stern words from my parents. Having them find a girl in my room in the dead of night would have been much worse. I waited a second, and Ariana seemed to get my drift because she was quiet as well. A few horrible seconds passed where I thought I heard some weight in the room above shift, but nobody came down. I sighed.

The pressure of having Ariana be silent for that time, not telling me her secret, had been much more horrible than the prospect of my parent's anger. "What it is?" I rushed out, dying a little more every slow second.

"It's a Squirtle, and it sounds absolutely adorable. It's a water Pokemon that's like a dwarf in a designed shell. At least, that's how Marcus describes it." She seemed to blush again, and again tried to hide it too late.

"That's sounds great." I said. "It would definitely suit you." I meant it.

She looked at my clock again, and I had to as well. The temptation was too great to ignore. "It would, wouldn't it? It sounds really cute, and I think water Pokemon are great."

More weight shifted upstairs. "I think I should leave before somebody discovers us," she said and started for my window.

I got up with her. "I'm really sorry, Ariana. I'd rather have someone to talk to, but the risk is pretty good we'll get caught. My parents are light sleepers." I held open the window for her. "I'll see you at tomorrow…or, rather, later this morning?"

"I wouldn't miss it. Be there early so you can get a good one, too, okay?"

"I will," I promised and closed the window as she walked away. I would have accompanied her home, but my parents would die if they discovered me missing one night. I returned to my bed and buried myself under the covers, trying to block out the tantalizing ticking once more. It took more than a hour for sleep to draw me into its hold, and even then it was a light sleep that ended not long after at the slightest sound outside, though it wasn't a person this time, only a random noise. After waking there was no chance of embracing rest the rest of the night, so I spent the rest of the late night checking my backpack. Everything I needed was in there. Three sets of clothes took up a lot of room, and there was a journal nestled in the bottom. Burying the journal were a four pairs of socks. A lengthy book had been placed, unbeknownst to me, behind the clothing. Upon further inspection by lamplight I identified it as my school's history book, with a note from my teacher that wished me luck and explained that he had paid for and donated the book to me. I didn't want it, exactly, but it _was _a gift and there was little I could do about it, short of leaving the thing hidden in my bookshelf. _Well, it might come in handy,_ I thought, and replaced it in my bag.

In the kitchen were several bottles of refrigerated water and a few sack lunches for my first few days out. In another, much smaller, pouch I found a toothbrush and toothpaste, as well as several pens to go along with the journal. Last, but not least, was a roll of toilet paper that I would most definitely need.

I paced the room, trying to think of anything else I needed. Alas, I couldn't consider a thing, but it did burn a lot of time. After pacing for some time, I reclined on my bed and simply waited for dawn. A sleepless night caught up with me at four in the morning and my eyes closed tightly, my body crying out for rest. As it turned out, I had forgotten something. It made sense in some cruel way that, though all my pacing, and the endless ticking and glances at the clock, that it never occurred to me that I had forgotten to set the darn thing.

It was late in the morning when habit woke me. My first thoughts cursed myself that I forgotten something so crucial. My next blamed my parents for not waking me also (as it turns out, they forgot to set their alarms as well). I charged into their room practically screaming. There were only four kids in the town qualified for the experiment, and I was going to be the one to miss it!

I never got my goodbyes out, telling my parents I'd meet them at the ceremony. With my bag packed and ready and a quick change of clothes, I took off down the road towards Professor Oak's lab, located on the edge of town.

I arrived nearly an hour late, and the crowd that had surely been there had nearly left completely and only half a dozen stragglers remained. I didn't wonder why as I threw open the lab's doors and ran inside, sliding to an uneasy stop on the slippery and shining tiled surface. Two of Oak's aides were startled and nearly ran into each other.

"Am I too late?" I puffed out, clutching my side where a stitch burned into me.

Before either of the aides could reply, an elderly man with a head full of gray hair walked came from around shelf holding many supplies of things I couldn't name.

"Well, it's about time!" Oak said, calmly walking over to me with a stern face.

"About time for what, sir?" I asked. "I know I'm way late..." I sighed. "You've probably already ran out of Pokemon." I stared at the floor tiles, foolishly realizing it had been stupid to charge here so late for something so exciting.

"Well, you are late, but so is somebody else, apparently. I mean, what's with kids these days, I ask you? I ask for three kids to come in one morning to get something very special, and they have the nerve not to show up! Hmmph!"

I looked up with a small flame of hope. "Wait, do you mean...?"

"Yes, there's only been two kids to show up, and you're the third."

I nearly jumped for joy, and my heart did a back flip. "Really, sir? You're not messing with me?" He shook his head.

"But, you do know this means you don't get a choice, right?"

"I don't care! As long as I get a Pokemon, I won't be picky!"

"Well, alright, follow me then." He started for the back of the lab and motioned for me to follow. He led me to a small desk on which sat a single Pokeball. He handed the ball to me.

I held it tenderly, feeling it with tears nearly in my eyes. It was only the second time I had held a Pokeball, and it felt great, amazing. The ball was made of two halves, the top half being red and the bottom white. In the center, was a white button that released the Pokemon inside when pressed. It fit in the palm of my hand easily.

"Can I release it?"

"Yes, you can. So let's see that Pokemon."

I held my arm out and pressed the button on the Pokeball gently, only to find it needed a tad bit of force. When pressed, the ball expanded to just over the size of an apple. In my hand it felt sleek and cool. It had been polished that morning and the fluorescent lights overhead shined off it easily.

I pressed the button again and the ball opened. A radiant sight of glaring crimson electricity spiraled through the air from the ball, twisting and turning until it touched the ground roughly where I had the ball pointed. The light took shape before my eyes, which were recording every second of the event. The light continued until, only seconds after it began, it was over. My Pokemon stood before me, momentarily confused.

The Pokemon was a bipedal lizard with smooth skin colored orange. Its belly was tan. Its hands were small and only had four fingers, one which was similar to a thumb. Its green eyes were fairly distant and its rounded nose stuck out, though only had two slits. Sharp teeth peeked from its mouth. It's tail was long and curved upwards, ending in a bright orange flame that flickered in the listlessly. It was both cute and dangerous looking, to an extent.

I dropped to one knee, as it only reached my waist, and held out my free hand hesitantly. I had no idea whether the Pokemon would know if I was its owner or not, so I waited to see what would happen. It sniffed my hand, snapped back. _Do I smell?_

Oak laughed. "Charmander, this is...I'm sorry, what's your name?"

"It's Darin, sir. And this is, what did you say, Charmander?"

"Yes. Charmander, this is your new trainer, Darin. He should treat you well." Oak looked at me. "You will, I hope?"

"Oh, yes, sir, I will. I'll treat him like my best friend. Like a brother, even."

"Good. There are some things you need to know, then." I tore my eyes from the lizard to look at the very serious Professor. "Charmander is a fire Pokemon, as you can see by the flaming tail. If its tail's flame goes out, it will die. You cannot let that happen, of course. The flame is resilient, though, so it can survive in water for a short while. Don't take that chance."

I nodded. "Got it. Don't let the flame go out."

"Second, treat it right. Charmander is a very dangerous Pokemon that only grows bigger and stronger. If it turns on you when it's older, you can only blame yourself. Oh, and be careful of its claws. They're sharp."

One of the aides muttered something and rubbed his leg where a deep cut was red and raw.

"Do you understand that Pokemon are not creatures, but living beings that understand and have emotions?"

"I do, sir."

"Good. There are those out there that treat Pokemon like weapons of war, and no good comes of it. Here, take this." Oak handed me something that looked like a thin electronic book "This is a Pokedex. It is a pocket-sized computer of my own design that holds data for all types and species of known Pokemon." I took it eagerly and opened it up, like one would a book. There was a screen inside the cover, and a keyboard and arrow keys on the other side. "It will only show you data on Pokemon you have seen, and then it will only show you so much. If you successfully capture a Pokemon, it will give you more information about how to raise it. Just point it at a new Pokemon that you come across and it will tell you stuff about it."

"That's amazing." I closed it and ran a hand down its red cover. "How long did this take to make?"

"About forty years to discover the Pokemon myself, but now it's coming faster from people all around the world. That is a Regional Pokedex, however, and only lists the hundred and fifty that are located here in Kanto."

"Sir, thank you so much. You don't know how much this means to me."

"I think I do." There was glimmer in Oak's eye that told me he was reliving his first Pokemon experience. I did not interrupt him, and waited until he came back a moment later.

"Is that all, sir?"

Oak laughed. I knew he understood. "I see you're eager. I won't keep you waiting. Here are five Pokeballs, I assume you know how to use them. If you don't, just ask look it up in the Pokedex."

"Thank you." I was at the door, when I stopped, remembering something. AWait, Professor Oak. Who came by and got a Pokemon?"

Oak looked up from the papers he had begun to look over and looked at me. "The first one was an eager boy with black hair that took my Squirtle. The second was a girl with strange pink hair that chose my Bulbasaur."

My heart, which had been so happy only moments before, sank. A boy with black hair; I had made it, and so had Ariana, but not Kory. "Oh...thank you, sir." Oak noticed my face.

"Relax, Darin. We can't all make it on the first try. You'll learn that soon enough. Just keep on trying, and you're friend will make it."

"Yes, sir." I left his lab, disheartened.

Outside, the sun was shining above the horizon. I took a look around, not sure of what to do at the crossroads in my heart. I could go back to town and join Kory, learn about my Charmander and stay with them until Kory could get his own Pokemon...which could take a while. Or I could walk out of Pallet Town and keep on going, straight to Viridian City. I could start gathering badges and more Pokemon. I could take a chance to learn and grow some more, or I could try to catch up with Ariana and the other boy, Zack (there had only been four kids, so he was the only one left).

I knew it was the right decision, so I led Charmander back to Pallet Town. The orange lizard only hesitated momentarily before following. Along the way we ran into my parents and sister.

"Oh," said my mother, falling to her knees to look Charmander in the eyes. A great big smile was on her face. "Aren't you just the cutest thing!" Charmander averted his eyes and pretended to find interest in some grass a little ways off. When my mother attempted to playfully pinch his cheeks, though, the Pokemon grew annoyed.

The Pokemon reared back, away from her approaching hand, and jumped forward, slashing with his claws. My mother leapt backwards into my father's arms, her chest heaving and a cry escaping her lips, though more out of surprise than pain; the scratches had not even drawn blood.

"Mom!" I yelled and stepped up to her, though I had no clue what I would have done. Charmander took that chance to run off in the direction he had been staring at.

My father tried to help my mother to her feet. "Darin, go catch that thing. It's dangerous and won't do running around in the wild!" Realizing I couldn't do much to help my mother, I followed my father's advice and took after Charmander, calling out its name.

I pulled the Charmander's pokeball from my belt and clicked it once to make it grow to full size. The Pokemon was the size of a midget, however, and could only get so far before I caught up to it out in a hill-ridden field. He tried desperately to claw up an abrupt rise, but his claws were short and stunted, and his attempts gave him no ground.

"Charmander, why would you do that?" I shouted at him, angrily. "She wasn't being hostile! She was playing with you!" As I said it, I remembered Oak's words from just moments ago. My mother _hadn't_ been attacking him; however she _had _been treating him as one treats a baby. Charmander wasn't a baby, it was a Pokemon, a wild animal that had, at one time, lived and fought in some unknown wilds, possibly far away. He shouldn't be treated like an infant.

"It won't happen again," I promised. "Nobody will ever talk to you like that, or treat you like that again, okay?" Charmander turned away from me, crossing his arms irately. It seemed he had picked up _something _from humans. "I promise," I said, though I had no clue what I would do if somebody did play with him again.

Charmander eyed me with cold, considering, green eyes. He faced me and held out one short arm. I took his hand and shook it. The deal had been made.

Instead of placing Charmander in his Pokeball, I continued to walk with him. We reached the now-empty road and started back to Pallet Town. The thrill of having a Pokemon was gone, now that my mother had been injured and wandering thoughts of what my father would do to me began to appear. The empty feeling left by the dead thrill was replaced with fear.

"Hey, Darin!" Some guy shouted as he ran down the road towards me. I couldn't make him out at first, but soon I recognized Kory in all his shining glory. _Why does he look so happy?_

Kory had just the opposite of black hair, a rare blond hair, approaching platinum, inherited from his long-lost mother. Kory didn't have a Pokemon, as much as it saddened me. He should have, though, instead of Zack, who was, generally, a mean person.

"Kory, what are you doing out here?" I asked as he came into earshot.

"I wanted to see your Pokemon," he said, catching his breath. "It looks great, like some scary monster. It'll intimidate some Pokemon, for sure."

"Yeah, he is pretty scary, I guess." I surveyed Charmander. He _did_ look like he could seriously hurt somebody. He might have at one point, actually.

"Oh, man, I can't tell you how long I overslept!" If he had, I wouldn't have believed it, since he yawned a minute later. I noticed he was still in his striped pajamas. There was a messenger back hung over his shoulders. _Oh, I get it. He thinks there'__s still a Pokemon left for him. He thinks he's going._ I was sad all over again.

"Uh, look, Kory, I have something to tell you."

His smile was grand. "Oh, I do too, Darin, but you first."

"Well, erm, this Charmander was the last Pokemon Professor Oak had left...there's no more."

His smile didn't falter like I thought it would; In fact, I didn't think it could get much wider. "Oh, I know. Now we all have one!"

My mouth stopped moving, frozen with a gape. "Wait, what do you mean, we all have one?"

"Ariana, Zack, you, and me: We all have Pokemon now!"

I counted them on my fingers for him, as it was evident he was confused. "Oak had three Pokemon. Zack got one, then Ariana, and then me; Kory, I'm sorry, but there's not one for you. But, I am going to st-"

He cut me off, reaching into his bag. "No, look." He pulled out a Pokeball that was marked with scratches and various damage built from age and use. "When I told my older brother, Mark, that I was late and wouldn't get a Pokemon, since I was so depressed, he gave me his old one! It's not much, and never been used, but it is a Pokemon!"

"Mark just _gave _you a Pokemon?" I asked incredulously.

"Well, he said it was because, if I was out of the house, it was one less mouth to help feed." He frowned. "But I wasn't even out of the house when Suzie had pulled out the color chart and started to plan what to do with my room."

"Well, it won't matter, will it?" I paused, catching his eyes. "I mean, we both have Pokemon now, we can-"

"Wait, what were you about to say earlier? I interrupted you."

I looked back in the direction of Oak's lab. "Well, since you didn't have a Pokemon, I was going to stay in Pallet Town until you did, so we could leave together."

He looked at me with a great smile. "You are such a great friend." He grabbed me, pulled me under the crook of his arm, and began to give me a great noogie. My frustrated cries of "stop" and "quit it" went unnoticed. Charmander had jumped back into the grass on the side of the road but didn't protect me. I prayed it was because he sensed Kory was a friend

Finally, Kory released me. "Well now we don't have to wait, right? We should get a leg up, though. Ariana and Zack are already ahead of us by a few hours. Get your… what did you call it?"

"He's a Charmander."

"Yeah, your Charmander. Put him up and let's hurry out of this deadbeat down, right?"

"Actually, I think he'll do well outside the Pokeball. He seems to like the fresh air."

"Hey, Charmander is actually a mouthful. How about giving it a nickname? A lot of people do, to keep from getting their Pokemon confused."

"Well, yeah...that sounds like a smart idea." We started down the road, away from Pallet Town, while ideas for names came into my head. It wasn't too long before I came across one I liked.

"How about Charcoal?"

Kory ran the name over in his head then said it out loud to feel how it ran. He seemed to like it. "Yeah, it's a great name."

"How about it, Charmander? What do you think about Charcoal?" Charmander thought over, stroking his chin with a hand. He nodded approvingly. "Charcoal it is, then." I smiled and looked into the distance.

"Look out Pokemon, here we come—Charcoal, Darin, and the leader, Kory! Prepare to meet your makers," shouted Kory, breaking ahead in a run. Charcoal found a burst of speed and managed to keep pace, and I was beside him every step we took.

As I left Pallet Town behind me, I realized I had forgotten about my parents…but it was too late to turn back, now.


	2. Chapter 2: Flying Fury

Route 1 was a dismal and unkempt road that led north from Pallet Town. From time to time the trodden path of dirt would disappear for long periods of time, only to wind up later on. At first I gave it no mind, but when we passed an area where the tall grass had overcome it for nearly an hour's walk, I began to get worried.

I voiced my concerns to Kory, who just laughed and patted his messenger bag. "Don't worry, I've got a compass. As long as we go north, we'll reach Viridian City eventually!"

I couldn't argue with that logic, and it seemed to suppress my fears for the rest of the way. Charcoal was behind me every step of the way, his head constantly darting side to side to see if anything was coming at us.

I didn't feel too safe, though. The Charmander was strong for his type and age, but, as with most weak Pokemon, he was short. His head hardly came over the grass. Another fear I had was that his burning tail would set the tall grass into an inferno. The Pokedex didn't have any information on its tail's flame, but it seemed to only burn things that Charcoal wanted to burn.

Finally, after hours of endless walking, Kory stopped and sighed heavily. "Darin, I'm tired of walking."

"Well, I am, too," I said, looking at him, searching for a reason for the statement.

Kory was looking around the area. He pointed to a nearby tree. "There, we should stop and eat lunch. It's nearly 3."

I glanced at my PokeGear, a high-tech watch that was a radio, clock, phone, and map all in one. Kory had one too, but where his was mainly gray with black designs, mine was blue with white. Kory was right; it was well past noon.

At word of food, my stomach rumbled, and was quelled by my hand's gently touch. "Yeah, we should stop. I'm pretty hungry, not that you mention it."

We sat at the base of the tree; myself positioned on a risen root, and ate some food packed by our parents. My mom made the best PB&J, though the other kids didn't think so. They all debated that their moms made the best sandwiches. The thought of my mom twisted my gut, so that I couldn't eat.

_Poor mom,_ I thought, looking at the ground, ashamed. _She'll be at home, now, or at a doctor, seeing to the cuts._ I closed my eyes tightly and begged for her forgiveness. _And here I am, a run-away without even saying goodbye. I__m a horrible son._

"You okay?" asked Kory, looking up from his own lunch (a red apple).

I sighed. "Yeah, I guess." Kory didn't ask any more, shrugged, and took another bite of the apple with a loud crunch. I ate, trying not to taste any of the delicious peanut butter or sweet grape jelly. I stopped, halfway done, and looked around. Charcoal was looking at me expectantly, still as an Ekans preparing to strike. I smiled as best as I could and offered him the half-eaten sandwich. "I didn't forget about you," I lied.

Charcoal sniffed the sandwich questioningly, licked it softly, and turned away. "All right," I said, standing up. My stomach instantly began to cry out again, but by then I wasn't about to eat the remains of my lunch.

"What do you want, then?" I asked. Kory didn't seem to notice my leaving.

Charcoal looked around, sniffed at the air. "Char, Char, Mander, Char," He said, unhelpfully. He did a circle and looked up. A gleaming swelled in his green eyes, "Char!"

I glanced up to where he was staring. The tree Kory and I had eaten under was full of a type of blue berries that looked to have had white paint rubbed over them randomly. "Alright, get some, then." I told him.

The Charmander ran forward and hopped into the air, attempting to wrap his short arms around the tree=s girth. He fell back to the ground hopelessly. I tried to help, but my arms didn't reach either.

"Sorry, looks like we'll have to find another way to bring them down," I said, looking up at the berries again. They looked good, and they probably wouldn't eat at my conscious while I ate at them.

I searched the tree, doing a slow circuit, trying to find a way to bring the berries down or to climb to get them. "Char?" inquired Charcoal, attempting to climb the tree again.

"I got it!" I announced. I backed up a few steps, braced myself, and charged forward. I slammed into the tree arm first, but it was so thick and I was so small that it didn't even begin to sway.

I had woken up something else, however, and it squawked above me. Another joined it, then another, and soon there was a chorus of annoyed birds. I pulled my Pokedex from my pocket and aimed it at them. A second later, a full picture of one appeared on the device and, in an electronic voice, it began to speak.

"Spearow, the tiny bird Pokemon. It possesses keen eyes that can see through any weather or opaque obstacle; mist, snow, or sand. If not for its incredibly aggressive and territorial attitude, Spearow would be prime choice for sending messages if modern power would fail. They are often described as the divergent of Pidgey, though Spearow only evolve into Fearow."

"Incredibly aggressive?" I repeated stupidly, staring at the bird's picture. It definitely looked the part; angry eyes, a sharp, hooked beak and talons, and unruly hair that gave it an irritated, insane look. Only, and this didn't improve its looks, it had a pale scar across its face.

One of the birds leapt out of the tree and flew away for several seconds before taking a wide turn and diving towards us. I ducked, but felt its jagged feet peek into my hair. "Charcoal, help!" I shouted.

The Charmander responded quickly, stepping in front of my protectively, watching the Spearow circle back again. This time when it descended towards us, Charcoal lunged forward attempting to capture the bird in his tiny arms. The Spearow cleared us, gliding wide to the right, its eyes glaring at Charcoal with open anger. It opened its sharp beak and cawed its name. I didn't know what it was saying, but I got a good idea when half a dozen more Spearow leaped out of the tree and began to circle us. Charcoal couldn't stop them all.

All at once, by one hidden signal, they came at us. Charcoal jumped on one, pinning in to the ground for a moment before leaping at a second and taking it down as well. The other five flew past me, raking their claws against my clothes and skin. My flailing arms entangled with one and a hand managed to wrap around it for a few seconds before I toppled on my back and set it free.

Charcoal positioned himself in front of me again, preparing for another strike. The two he had felled had already taken to the air again with little more than a few ruffled feathers and a lot more anger.

It occurred to me that Kory hadn't even tried to help us. "Kory!" I shouted and took a chance to glance in his direction. He had fallen asleep against the tree, with a full stomach. I groaned and looked back at the skies. The Spearow were falling again, their eyes sparking fury. "Kory!" I screamed, attempting to wake him.

The Spearow hit us. Charcoal again tackled one, but this time did not recover to get another. With my wildly swinging arms I hit one and captured another. This time it did not escape, but it was hard to hold on to. I had it by its skinny feet and felt myself sliding forward as it pumped its wings with all its might. Charcoal scratched at the one it had pinned until it stopped moving. When the Charmander stood it bore several cuts from the Spearow's talons. The bird twitched where it lay.

Charcoal quickly came to my side and violently scratched the Spearow across the back. It screamed and twitched its feet, cutting the sharp nails against my skin. I yelped pathetically and let it go, falling on to my aft end.

"Charcoal," I said, "wake up Kory!"

The Charmander nodded and ran over to Kory. I dividedly looked between the birds and the flaming lizard. He shook Kory for several seconds, but the boy did little more than mutter and bat him away.

"Charcoal, wake him up!"

My Charmander did: he raked his nails across Kory's face and the sky was filled with my friend's screams as he jumped away from the tree, skittering across the ground. Charcoal looked at me with an accomplished smile. I suppose he had done as I asked.

"What's your problem?" Kory shouted, covering his red face.

"We need your help, Kory!" I said, watching the skies again. The Spearow were preparing to dive once more.

He started to tune into the world for the first time. "Oh, man, look out for those Spearow!"

"I know! Now help me!"

Charcoal ran back to my side just in time to miss tackling one of the birds. The others hit me simultaneously. I cried out and collapsed to one knee, not watching them spiral into the air again, starting another circle.

"Go, Biter!" Kory shouted. "Show 'em what you're made of!"

There was a ball of red light spinning through the air, arching to the ground, from the ball in Kory's hand. Like an unraveling ball of yarn, a rather common Pokemon took form. There was no time for me to scan it, but I knew it to be a Rattata.

"All right, Biter," Kory said loudly, proudly, and pumping a fist, "attack one of those Spearow when they come down!"

The purple mouse sat on its haunches and scratched behind its enormously long whiskers.

Kory's face fell into disbelief. One corner of his mouth twitched, confused between a smile and a frown. "Biter, get up and fight!"

Biter stuck his nose in the air.

The Spearow came at me again, and Charcoal only managed to stop one. I sank off my knee and listed onto my side, feeling the deep cuts left by the birds. I began having trouble keeping my eyes open more than bare slits. I closed them, dreading what was inevitably coming…

And then my eyes opened, and Charcoal was blocking my vision.

"That's it!" Kory was shouting, "get'em Biter!"

The Rattata was screaming, a hissing snarl, as it leapt into the air, tackling a Spearow into the dust. The bird clambered to its feet and started to take off again. It didn't get very far before Charcoal lunged at and scratched it. The Spearow fluttered away to a tree weakly, giving up the fight.

I rolled over, trying to see what had caused the change in standings, but the high sun blinded me, leaving only the cries of Pokemon and Kory's encouraging shouts and commands. Only a single Spearow raked me that time.

I used a hand to block out the light and looked around. The seven Spearow had been reduced to four, but not a single one was still on the ground, so they must have retreated to their nests. The next bombardment, Biter and Charcoal easily held off, with Charcoal pinning one to the ground. When he stood, a wing twitched but it did not flee; it could not flee.

I clambered to my feet, my arms swaying weakly. But this was my moment. I retrieved a Pokeball from my belt. I clicked the button once and felt it swell in my hand. Then I threw it with all my reserve strength.

The Pokeball hit the weakened Spearow and bounced off it. For a second I thought it hadn't worked, but then I was put in a state of shock and awe. The ball opened and absorbed the Pokemon, rolling it up in the strange red energy. The ball closed, fell, and shook. The bird was attempting to break free with any and all strength it still had.

It rolled around like it had been kicked, showing its white bottom. It rolled again, but not so far. Then it simply twitched. The button glowed red for a moment, letting out a resonant hum. I staggered over and picked the ball up. I stared it dumbly then smiled. I thrust it towards the sky with renewed energy.

Then I collapsed and fell into a deep sleep.

I didn't stay unconscious for long, however. I woke with a start in the late afternoon of that same day. Kory had bandaged my wounds and was poking a stick in a rock-circled fire pit. Smoke was rising from it, but the fire had hardly caught. Charcoal stepped over helpfully and dipped his tail in, giving it a healthy burn. He announced his name happily, enjoyed that he could help.

Biter wasn't around, most likely tucked away in his Pokeball. I sat up and yawned before I had a chance to say anything. Involuntarily, I stretched.

Kory looked to me. "Hey, I'm glad you're up. You've been out for a few hours."

"What happened?" I asked, with a mouth that felt like it was full of cotton.

Kory stared at the flamed idly, mulling over his thoughts. "Well, we beat out the Spearow, you caught one, and then you passed out. I thought it would be better to move away from the Spearow, so I carried you out further down the…erm, road. It's not really a road. It disappeared a while ago."

"I'd noticed." I groaned. I was hungry! "Do we have any food?"

He motioned to a pile of berries around our bags. "Charcoal sniffed out those berries, but I just had some food my mom packed me. It's going to be strange, eating new foods, isn't it?"

"Yeah," I said, moving to the pile and taking a handful of the blue berries. I popped one in my mouth and tasted it. It was sweet, and the skin was chewy. I liked it. It wasn't as good as, say, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but they were something. I wondered if they would taste good as juice, or if you made a sandwich with them.

"So why were those Spearow attacking you, anyway?"

I swallowed. "Me and Charcoal were getting some berries like these. He doesn't like my mom's food, I guess."

"Well, he is a Pokemon. They just attacked you?" Kory laid down , supporting his head with an arm.

"The Pokedex says they're very territorial."

Kory's brows furrowed. "What's a Pokedex?"

I ate another berry and found my Pokedex in my pocket. "Professor Oak gave it to me this morning. If you aim it at a Pokemon, it unlocks data on it. In return for Charcoal, he wanted me to try and fill it up with as many Pokemon as I can find."

Kory turned it over in his hands, opened it, and started playing with it. "I wonder if he'd give me one."

I shrugged. "Maybe, since you're starting out, too." I ate two more berries; they were addicting! "We'll call and ask him when we get to Viridian City."

Kory lay down. "It's too late for us to start moving again today. We'll keep going tomorrow."

"That sounds good," I said. We were off to a bad start. We had not only overslept and got a late start, but we also had trouble and lost nearly four or five hours. Ariana and Zack would be nearly at Viridian City, and would most likely be inside before noon the next day. If only they would get slowed down!

A sudden squawk made me jump. I looked around and moaned. "Oh, no! Kory, look!"

The six remaining Spearow were flying towards us, fury radiating off of them.

Kory stood and quickly retrieved a Pokeball from his bag. He tossed it let Biter join in the fight.

"Charcoal, to me!" I said. Charmander stepped beside me, and then Biter and Kory.

"Ready?" he inquired.

I nodded. "We beat 'em before."

The six all dove without circling as they had done before; they swept through our ranks, some pulling out at the last second, decoys. They had gotten smarter since our last bout. Even Charcoal and Biter couldn't catch them, even when their beaks pecked at them.

They did this again, and again we dealt no damage. Charcoal sensed we would lose and ran forward to meet them. He leaped to take one on, but was stopped in a sudden swarm of all six. Being separated from us, he was a perfect target.

"Darin, call him back!" Kory shouted, though I already knew I needed to.

I held up Charcoal's Pokeball, trying to recall him, though the Spearow were in the way. "I can't get him!" I shouted with a voice full of panic.

Kory ground his teeth and looked at his Rattata. "Biter, help Charcoal out!" The mouse ignored him. "Fine! Don't help!"

Without another Pokemon to help us, it was up to me. I ran forward, waving my arms wildly, hoping to scatter the Spearow. Two turned on me and started to peck at my face, turning me back.

I had no other choice, then. I reached onto my belt and pulled out the second ball. One click and it filled my hand. I threw it and watched as the Spearow I had caught came to life in a lengthy red flash.

It cocked its head and cried out. It was then I noticed who it was; it was the Spearow that had first called the others, the one with the scar. The other Spearow backed off Charcoal, hovering in the air with rapid wing beats. My Spearow said something else, calling out its namesake.

The Spearow lunged at it, attempting to take it down. My Spearow climbed higher in the air, making it more aerial than ever, diving and spinning and looping his way around the others, occasionally putting in a peck or scratch.

Somehow, I could understand what was happening. My Spearow had been their leader and they had come to rescue it, only they hadn't seen me capture it and now they knew and couldn't accept it since it had been captured. So they had to fight it, the vanquisher would obviously become the new leader.

Apparently, my Spearow was leader for a reason. He wasn't rash, taking out each one in turn. Before the battle had gone on too long, I snapped out of my excited trance enough to remember Charcoal. I sprinted over to him and dropped to my knees.

He looked bad. He was on his side, covered in twice as many cuts as before. His emerald eyes were wet. "Char…" he cried weakly, his chest heaving for breath.

"It's okay now, Charcoal," I soothed. "We'll heal you soon." I pulled his Pokeball off my belt again and recalled him. I stood and watched the battle in the skies once more.

Two Spearow had already become too weak and given up, flying back the way they had come. A few seconds later a third nearly plummeted, but broke out of its dive and fluttered weakly into the distance. The fourth followed soon after, and the fifth and sixth broke away, crying out some empty threats.

My Spearow landed gracefully, bearing only a few marks and ruffled feathers. He filled his chest proudly, watching them leave. The amount of anger in his eyes was less than before. He looked at me and cocked his head.

"Are you going to stay with me?" I asked.

Kory laughed. "He did it!"

The Spearow looked at Kory, then back at me, and nodded.

It seemed to like belonging to a trainer; it was a new journey. And after that battle it couldn't very well return to its group. "Well, in that case, you'll need a name." I thought it over. Scar? No, it was too obvious and overused. Aero? No, it was a boy. It came to me, then. "How about Talon?"

The Spearow cocked its head again, thinking. It nodded. "Spear!"

I smiled and nodded. "Alright, then. Welcome to the team, Talon!"

We weren't bothered by the pack of Spearow again.


	3. Chapter 3: High Hopes

"My name is Ariana, and I plan on proving myself to the world. I'm going to beat the Elite Four and become the Champion. Of course, to do that I'll have to beat the eight gym leaders of Kanto…starting with you, Gary!"

Gary Oak smiled cockily and looked at his feet, shaking his head slowly. My anger flared up inside of me so much I thought my eyes would melt from the heat…or maybe I was blushing.

"I remember when I was like you," he said, looking up. His pose made me even angrier; he had a hand on his hip and bore his belt of Pokeballs for all to see. "Back when I started my journey, I wanted to be the best. Now I know that there is no best at Pokemon; there are too many types and moves to use. Kid…Ariana…you should leave now, train for a few months, and then come back."

"I won't do that!" I shouted. "I'm going to beat you here and now!"

He surveyed me with one judging eye. He shrugged, "Fine. Have it your way."

I reached to my belt and slipped off the single occupied Pokeball. "Go, Bulbasaur!" I said, throwing the ball halfway across the room. It hit the floor and opened in mid bounce before returning to me, leaving a living shape on the floor. The seed Pokemon, Bulbasaur, resembled a frog with a large plant bulb on its back.

Gary chuckled and shook his head again. "If that's all you have, then you're definitely going to lose."

"Shut up and fight!" I shouted.

He reached onto his visible belt and pulled a ball off. He tossed it out and let me marvel at the Pokemon. I quickly dug out my Pokedex and aimed at it.

The Pokedex buzzed. "Pokemon not recognized. Update Pokedex."

I gasped. "Is that a new Pokemon?"

Gary laughed out loud, but he wasn't mocking me. "That's a regional Pokedex, I assume?" I nodded. "This is Umbreon, an evolution of Eevee. Only Eevee from Johto can become an Umbreon or an Espeon, which is why your Pokedex can't define it."

I looked at the Umbreon. It stood on four legs and had a slender body. Long ears and a bushy tail extended from it. Except for a few yellow rings, it was jet black. The most intimidating part of it, however, was its crimson eyes.

"Bulbasaur," I called, "tackle it!"

Gary smirked from across the field. "Umbreon, use double team," He said calmly. Umbreon easily evaded Bulbasaur's lunging attack and began to prance around him with extreme speed.

"Bulbasaur, use another tackle!"

Bulbasaur first had to get his target in sight. He turned this way and that, only managing to catch fading glimpses of Umbreon's shadow.

"Full speed, Umbreon!" Gary called out.

Umbreon traveled faster than I believed humanly possible. He darted this way and that, turning at amazing angles. And while I was stunned watching him, so was Bulbasaur. Of course, I wasn't in the middle of it and didn't have to turn and spin endlessly.

I saw then that Umbreon didn't need Gary's commands to win the battle. It closed in and started running in a small circle around Bulbasaur. Frightened, my Pokemon tried to back away, but there was nowhere to go.

"Keep your eyes on him!" I shouted, like it was something easy to do. Bulbasaur tried, but something about him was…off, watching him. He began to waddle and turn slower. He was looking past Umbreon's shadow images, at me, with confused, dazed eyes that seemed to spin when he suddenly collapsed.

"Enough, Umbreon." Gary hadn't moved from his spot, though he patted Umbreon with a smile as it came to his side.

I ran to Bulbasaur and lifted him in my arms. He was heavy for such a small thing. "What was that?" I demanded.

"Umbreon's fast. He didn't even have to touch your Bulbasaur to beat him," Gary explained. "Your Bulbasaur isn't strong or experienced enough to fight even one of my Pokemon and win. If you train more he'll become more powerful, learn better moves, and even evolve into a greater force…believe me, I know." His hand ran across Umbreon's jet black fur almost soothingly.

I opened Bulbasaur's ball and felt his weight disappear from my chest. I didn't dare look Gary in the eyes. "What, I should just battle whatever Pokemon I find for the next year?" I couldn't keep the mocking, poisonous anger from mixing with my voice.

"Well, no. You should learn to know your enemies, you know." Gary sounded stern, now. I saw the flash from where his Umbreon returned to its ball. "The Gym Leaders, me included, are instructed to never use our true strength in battles. I am supposed to be the last Leader that trainers fight before going to the Elite Four; not the first."

I gathered the courage to look up at him. He had somehow closed the difference between us silently. I hadn't even heard a change in the volume of his voice. He held a gloved hand out to me. I took the leather and was lifted to my feet.

"So who should I go to first?"

He reached into his back pocket and produced a device similar to my Pokedex, but much more advanced. He pushed a few buttons and showed me the picture. On the screen a heavily tanned man smiled back at me.

"This is Brock Harrison, Pewter City's Gym Leader. You can get to Pewter City by going straight north from here, Viridian City. To get there you'll have to pass through Viridian Forest, however. I suggest you train some there and capture a Pokemon or two."

I studied the man's face. Brock Harrison. His eyes were hardly lines, and would have been near invisible if he didn't have any eyebrows. Still, he looked friendly enough.

"Pewter City…" I repeated, looking at Gary. I noticed just how old he was, then. As a Trainer, anyway. He was smart and a friend to his Pokemon…just like how I wanted to be. I looked up, surprised. I had just remembered who Gary was. "You're Gary Oak!"

He chuckled. "Yes, I am. Didn't you know that?"

I felt my face burning again and some anger directed at myself. "I just remembered, though! You're Ash's rival! You and he grew up in Pallet, he lived just down the road from me!"

He smiled. "We were rivals, once. If you're lucky you'll have your own…they're really fun to have. Now get out of here. You won't get anywhere standing around and talking."

I backed out of the gym, leaving Gary there with a hand in his pocket, a smile on his face as he silently judged me. I wondered what he was thinking.

As I closed the door I heard a muffled "Wait!" I opened the door again and peered in. Gary was jogging towards me.

He loomed over me. "I have an idea. Wait here for just a moment." He ran off, into a room in the back of the Gym; his room, perhaps, since Gym Leaders often lived in their Gyms. He came back a minute later, carrying something in his arms. It was covered in a blanket.

He handed it to me and pulled off the covering. It was a large egg. "This is a Pokemon egg," he explained. "I want you to have it. Keep it with you and it will hatch."

"What's inside?" I asked.

His eyes twinkled. "That's a surprise. Just keep it safe."

I held the egg in front of my eyes. There were various natural markings on it in several colors; red, blue, and yellow, though the majority of it was white.

"Well, thank you." I said politely, though I had no idea what to really think. He _was _giving me a Pokemon.

"Think nothing of it. Now run off. You should probably go to the Pokemon Center and heal your Bulbasaur."

I nodded and stepped back outside. I slid down a ledge to avoid having to walk around the side to the stairs and got lost in the small city. There were several dozen buildings, it was bigger than Pallet, and had nearly two hundred human inhabitants. The Pokemon Center was a large building somewhere near the center of the town, whereas the Gym was towards the east.

I stepped through the automatic doors and looked around. The walls to either side were lined with booths and tables where a few sparse trainers were eating and quietly talking. Further on, behind a desk, a depressingly happy woman with pink hair (the same shade as mine) stood, surveying the building's inhabitants.

I stepped up to the counter. "Um, I have a Pokemon that needs healing."

The woman smiled sadly. "You must be a new Trainer." I nodded. "Well, I'm Nurse Joy."

"I'm Ariana."

Her smile pinched into her cheeks. "Nice to meet you, Ariana. Now, you do understand how Pokemon Centers work, right?"

I looked around self consciously and rubbed the back of my head. "Not really," I admitted quietly.

"Well, that's no problem. You just leave me your hurt Pokemon and I'll have them healed in no time…or after a while if it's serious. Of course, that's only when bad trainers show up."

I looked at my feet, hoping I never had to bring in a dying Pokemon. I pulled Bulbasaur's ball off my belt and handed it to her without looking.

I heard the ball click open. And Joy exclaimed "Oh, this is nothing. Your Bulbasaur's just a bit dizzy. I'll give him some headache medicine and a snack and he'll be fine in half an hour!" I looked at him. The plant Pokemon was rocking back and forth, his eyes swirling and mouth panting.

I smiled. I had lost the battle, but had gained valuable information. And an egg.

"Nurse Joy," I said, "can you tell me what's in this egg?" I put it on the counter.

She examined it for half a moment. "It's impossible to say what's exactly in a Pokemon egg, but you can mostly tell the type. I think this one will be a normal type. But I am concerned about how you're carrying it."

I looked at her, confused. "How am I supposed to carry it?"

"Hold on…" she disappeared in the back room, taking Bulbasaur with her. She came back alone, though holding a strange device. "This is an incubator," she explained. She took the egg off the counter and placed it inside. It was a snug fit from what I could see. "Now you don't have to carry the egg in your arms. You can place this in your bag and you won't have to worry about it breaking or anything. It will even heat up the egg if the surroundings get too cold."

"Thank you, Nurse Joy. The only problem is, I don't have money to pay for any of this…"

She smiled and tilted her head. "Oh, no. Pokemon Centers are completely free of charge. We're built on the love of Pokemon. In return for our services, we've been treated to free energy and whatnot."

I held the incubator. "Wow! That's nice of everybody!"

She smiled. "Now, you look hungry. Go choose a table and I'll bring you some food while your Bulbasaur gets his medicine."

I did, choosing a table on the left. I tossed my backpack on the seat and placed the incubator on the table. I sat down and stared absently out the window, seeing the world for the first time. I had only ever been out of Pallet twice, and never past Viridian. Now, in the rapidly fading afternoon sun, I could see that the world was big…huge. There hundreds if not thousands of Pokemon to discover. It was…daunting, to say the very least. Epic, amazing, a little frightening. And all I had was a single Pokemon and an egg. My friends were somewhere, a good day's walk away. And Zack…well, he wasn't a friend…but he was right there.

I noticed him sitting at another table on the other side of the room, his face hidden behind his curtain of black hair. He was scribbling in an open journal, not paying any attention to the world around him. I stood, glanced around the room. Nobody else was paying special attention to anything other than their friends, food, or Pokemon. I quickly slipped across the room in what was a hurried walk. I cleared my throat rather loudly, hoping that I had not garnered attention from anybody else. I could feel imaginary stares on my back.

Zack closed his journal with his pencil as a bookmark. "About time, Nur—" he stopped, looking up at me. "Oh, it's you." He sounded rather stunned.

"Zack, are surprised to see me here?"

He smirked and regarded me with gray eyes. "I'm surprised to see you in this city," he said. "I thought you of all people would be ten feet down Route 1, drowning in the stress."

I glared down at him. "No, sorry to disappoint you, but I've been here for over an hour."

I could see him shaking with repressed, mocking laughter. "I've been here for three," he said arrogantly.

"Did you beat the Gym Leader?" I asked, knowing full well he couldn't have.

He laughed out loud at that and shook his head, lightly spraying his hair in different directions. "Only an idiot beginner would challenge Gary!" He laughed again. "Anybody with a brain would know to get information about an enemy before challenging them, and anybody without a brain would know not to challenge _Gary,_ of all people!

I tried to hide my blush. Apparently I failed, for he went on to say "I bet you just went ahead and challenged him, didn't you?" He didn't need an answer. He barked laughter once more and my blush deepened. He looked ahead and touched a half-full mug lightly. "You probably don't even have two Pokemon yet." I was sure he had been joking, not even positive about that himself, but nonetheless, he was right.

"How about you, then?" I asked, hoping against hope that he hadn't taken another Pokemon either.

He looked up, taken aback. "Well, no," he admitted. "To be sure, I beat several and scanned some with my Pokedex; I had plenty chances to capture them, but I didn't. They were all pathetically weak."

I couldn't deny him; they had been invariably weak, hardly able to land a hit on my Bulbasaur. We fell into a silence, remembering the small battles we had both won on our way here.

I sat on the booth across from him so I could properly face him. "You know," I said, "traveling alone is…well, lonesome. Do you, perhaps, want to—"

He cut me off sharply. "I don't travel with idiots or weaklings. It might be possible if you fix your problems."

I pushed myself off the seat with my hands so I could bore down on him angrily. "_I'm _weak? _I'm _an idiot? I'll take you on as soon as my Bulbasaur gets finished healing! Then we'll see who the weak idiot is!"

He brushed back his stark black hair back and met my stare eye for eye. "You've got yourself a battle. And even if you do have the type advantage, I'll win." He shoved his binder in his backpack and slid out of the booth. "I'll be at Battle Park, in the center of town," he said over his shoulder as the automatic doors slid open. I was still poised over the table when they closed.

I slid into the seat pursing my lips angrily. Slower than I would have liked, the stares vanished and people resumed talking normally.

Nurse Joy returned before the stares were completely gone, setting before me a tray of basic fruits. "Thank you," I said rather morosely, my back a little stiff.

"It's no problem," she replied, smiling down at me sadly. She had turned to leave, when she said "You know, it doesn't really matter who the strongest trainer is. There are much more important things in life." She left without adding on, or waiting for a reply.

I ate in a sullen silence, taking drinks from a mug of water that had been on the tray whenever I was thirsty. Just as I finished up, Nurse Joy rang a bell from the counter. I looked up, surprised and wondering what was going on. She motioned me over.

"Your Bulbasaur is all better now. We gave him a check up and he's just fine. We also, of course, cleared up his confusion." I was surprised—and greatly relieved—that she did not ask how, exactly, Bulbasaur got his confusion. I would have felt an idiot all the more.

"Thanks again, Nurse Joy."

She smiled, her face pinched up prettily. "You're quite welcome. It's what we do. Now, do me a favor and try not to get into too much trouble."

"I won't," I promised, taking the Pokeball she offered and clipping it to my belt. I felt the weight of her smile on my back as I left the large building.

I paused to examine the map of Viridian City. Battle Park was just a few streets over, marked by a circular area designed to resemble a green Pokeball. In just a few minutes I was there. The sky had darkened, leaving it up to several stadium lights to pick up the half-moon's slack.

It was a simple park, a few trees lining the far sides, but the center cleared for battles. The grass was freshly mown, and a cobblestone road ran through the center, becoming the center of the Pokeball design. A few people, all older than me, still fought ferociously. I found myself stopping, completely engrossed in their battles.

I produced my Pokedex out of my pocket and pointed it at one lightly-lit Pokemon.

"Sandshrew," the Pokedex piped, "the mouse Pokemon. A ground type that is well known for its prowess in defense. If threatened, most will burrow underground several feet in mere seconds. If unable to dig, it will likely curl in a ball or attempt escape. Evolves into Sandslash."

I stared at the picture of it; a sand-colored creature that looked to have hard skin made up of blocks, leaving a design on it. It was absolutely adorable, though the one battling did not seem too keen on the idea of running away from its less-appealing opponent, who I also scanned.

The picture on the Pokedex changed quickly and it began to spit out more words. "Mankey, the pig-monkey Pokemon. It is a fighting type that is among the most aggressive Pokemon known. Accompanied with the fact that it is easily irritated and rather short tempered, it is hard for any beginning Trainer to catch, and near impossible to train. It unfortunately evolves into Primeape, an even more aggressive and extremely stubborn Pokemon. Caution is advised with each."

The Mankey was similar to a human, though it had a pig's nose and was covered in a dirty white fur. Oh, and it had a tail.

The Sandshrew tucked itself into a ball as the Mankey came at it. It became a game of one-player soccer.

"Hey," shouted someone behind me, "are we going to fight or what?"

I looked at Zack. "We'll fight. Where do you want me to beat you?"

He looked around, deciding. "How about I bury you over there?" he asked, pointing to a spot in the southwest corner.

"Fine," I shrugged and walked over, leaving the stone path. I took place about fifteen yards away from him. "Ready?" I called.

"Go!" He shouted, tossing out his Pokeball. Mine was seconds behind his.

Two flashes of light momentarily lit the sky, not quite blinding us, before fading and leaving our Pokemon standing in the spots where they hit. My Pokeball, now empty, jumped back into my hand.

Zack wasted no time in starting the battle. "Squirtle," he commanded, "use bubble!"

The light blue turtle charged forward using speed it didn't look to own. Before I could tell it to, Bulbasaur instinctively jumped out of harm's way, trying to remain facing his opponent.

"Bulbasaur," I started to say, but Squirtle's true attack hadn't even begun. It spun, leaping towards my Bulbasaur, and let out a stream of bubbles from its mouth.

I have no idea how bubbles can hurt, but they did. Bulbasaur wrenched back from the majority, but the first few managed to pop on impact. Bulbasaur lurched and steam rose from his skin.

"Bulbasaur, use tackle!" He lunged forward, to the side of the bubbles, and shoved Squirtle to the ground.

Zack laughed. "A normal attack? That's the best you have?" I grimaced and prepared another move, but Zack's mouth moved faster. "Squirtle, use bubble again, at point blank range!"

Squirtle, pinned to the ground, had no chance of missing Bulbasaur with a number of acidic bubbles. My Pokemon fell back, stumbling and trying to shake off the burning, wet spots.

"Bulbasaur, leech seed!"

Bulbasaur's bulb began to glow and spit out a pale seed. It came out strong and found Squirtle like a homing rocket. Upon landing, roots immediately sprouted and dug their way onto Squirtle's arm. It glowed white for a second, similar to Bulbasaur's bulb, and my Pokemon stood a little stronger, using the strength his seed was sapping from Squirtle. Bulbasaur's bulb and the seed on Squirtle took to their normal color again.

Zack groaned and clenched his teeth. "Squirtle, tackle it!"

Squirtle did, with Bulbasaur unable to dodge.

"I thought you said tackle was a pathetic move!" I taunted. I felt Zack growl and noticed somebody had stopped to watch us battle. "Bulbasaur," I called, "use another leech seed!" Getting two would zap twice the strength from Squirtle, also healing my only Pokemon.

"Squirtle, withdraw into your shell!" Zack cried. Squirtle did and the seed bounced off his brown shell uselessly. Still, Bulbasaur gave his own smile as energy crawled into him. "Now tackle!" Squirtle emerged from his shell and hit Bulbasaur. "Now, use bubble right on his face!"

Squirtle took a breath and let out a large line of bubbles. The hissing came from both the crowd, which had doubled, and the large wet spots on Bulbasaur's head.

"Bulbasaur, now that he's close, use leech seed!" Squirtle jumped back, but was too slow to avoid the seed that latched right across his nose. "Now tackle it!" Bulbasaur did, pinning the turtle to the ground. "Now rub your face on him!"

It was a split decision, but it worked. The burning water on Bulbasaur's head was transferred, dealing back Squirtle's damage. Squirtle cried out, too late.

"Get up!" Zack commanded, though it was obvious the turtle couldn't battle any more. It was, now, trying to simple get off its back.

"Bulbasaur," I said, "to me."

I petted my Pokemon with a rag, wiping off the bubble water. It still quietly hissed.

Zack hadn't given up yet. "Hey, that's cheating! That means I win!" Apparently, the two people watching didn't think so. They laughed, in turn receiving a glare from Zack.

"You did good, Bulbasaur," I said. "Keep this up and we'll hit the big time soon enough."

My opponent ran across the field and shoved Squirtle off its back. "You lost!" he shouted.

"No, Zack, _you _lost," I claimed. "Now, about you and I adventuring together: I don't think so."

He glared at me, scowling and returned Squirtle to its Pokeball. "You got lucky, girl."

I stood still, letting him run off the field and out of sight. Dark had completely fallen now and the park was closing for the night. "Return, Bulbasaur."

The two onlookers met me on the path. It was the two people I had seen fighting earlier. "You did well," one congratulated. "Your first battle?"

I nodded. "My first battle against a person. I'm a beginner, just come from Pallet earlier today."

He grunted approvingly.

"I saw your battle earlier," I said, "you had the Mankey, right?"

He smiled. "You saw that? That was nothing; just a friendly battle. Stice here is trying to make his Sandshrew braver."

Stice groaned and crossed his arms. "Sandshrew are dreadful cowards, but if you can get one to battle fearlessly its natural defensive mind makes it a powerful force."

The other, larger man, laughed. "Don't listen to him. Mankey and Primeape are very strong, very fast, agile, and never give up until beaten into a pulp. If you manage to train a Mankey to listening and approve of you, it will annihilate anything in its path, living or not."

I looked between them, thinking. It was just as Gary had said. There were many types of Pokemon and many ways to train them. "Well, maybe we'll meet again one day," I said, "and then I can prove you both wrong."

I smiled and waved goodbye, listening to their laughter. Soon I was back at the PokeCenter, getting a lecture from Nurse Joy.

"…oh, but what am I saying," she asked no one in particular, "you trainers always end up in trouble. Second time in two hours…" she nodded disapprovingly, taking Bulbasaur to be healed over night. I sat in one corner of the lobby waiting for a bed to be set up. On the far side of the room, Zack sat as well, glaring at me every chance he got.

That was when I started writing in my own journal, detailing all the stuff I just went over. Here I am now, just finishing up before I turn in.

Tomorrow, I enter Viridian Forest.


End file.
